Hinge



H. F. SMITH Jan. 25, 1938.

HINGE Original Filed April 30, 1951 J INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS iii Patented Jan. 25, 1938 UNITED STATES HINGE Harry F. Smith, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Original application April 30, 1931, Serial No.

533,996. Patent No.

1,979,291, dated Novemher 6, 1934. Divided and this application August 30, 1934, Serial No. 742,136

8 Claims.

This application is a division of my copending application S/N 533,996 filed April 30, 1931 and ilsgsizsued as Patent No. 1,979,291, November 6,

This invention relates to refrigerators and more particularly to an improved hinge construction for supporting the door closing the entrance to a compartment of the refrigerator.

Refrigerators are often provided with various types of porcelain coated compartments, some of which are provided with doors. For example, a freezing compartment for freezing ice cubes is usually provided in the cooling element or evaporator of refrigerators of the household type. It is desired to keep this compartment below freezing temperatures at all times while it is usually desired to cool the remaining portion of the interior of the refrigerating cabinet to a lesser degree. In order to keep the freezing compartment as cold as possible, it is desirable to provide a door for closing its entrance and preferably to provide a self-closing door. The provision of a suitable hinge for the door particularly a hinge involving a door closing means is made difficult because it is often desired to coat all the exterior portions of the cooling unit with porcelain. This difficulty is also found in hinges for other types of compartments coated with porcelain and having porcelain coated doors. Many different types of hinges have been tried but these hinges were found to be objectionable because they squeak and because they chip the porcelain from portions of the door and the cooling unit, particularly when attaching the same. Other objectionable features of the hinges were that they were expensive, that they were difficult to attach to the porcelain surfaces, and that they were not simplified to a sufiicient degree.

Consequently one of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved simplified hinge which will not squeak, or mar the finished surfaces of the door or the structure to which the door is attached.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved hinge of rubber material having means for keeping the door in a desired position.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved and facile means for fastening a hinge to a door and a door supporting structure.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following de- I scription, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a cooling unit provided with my improved hinge construction;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the cooling unit shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. I

My invention is disclosed, for the purpose of illustration, as applied to a cooling unit.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a cooling unit 20 having a reservoir portion 2| which is provided with a conduit 22 for supplying refrigerant to and for withdrawing refrigerant from the cooling unit 20. Beneath the reservoir portion 2! there is provided a freezing compartment 23 for freezing ice cubes therein which'is provided with a U-shaped refrigerant wall 24 for enclosing the freezing compartment on the bottom and sides. The refrigerant walls 24 comprise a pair of metal sheets 25 and 26 which are maintained in spaced relation by a plurality of pro-' jections 21. Refrigerant fills the spacebetween the plates 25 and 26 and provides refrigeration for keeping the freezing compartment below freezing temperatures and for keeping the interior of the refrigerator cabinet cooled to a desired degree. The freezing compartment 23 is preferably provided with a suitable rear wall, not shown. The cooling unit 20 is preferably supported within the refrigerator cabinet by a sup porting bracket 28 which is preferably secured I to the reservoir portion 2| of the cooling unit.

In order to prevent the cold air from escaping from the freezing compartment and for preventing the access of warm air to the freezing compartment, a door 29 is provided for closing the front entrance thereto. The door' 29 is provided with an ornamental raised portion 42 from which extends, on one side of the door, a pair of recesses 36 and 43. These recesses are provided for receiving a hinge.

According to the present invention a pair of pivot pins 30 and 3| are fastened to the side of the refrigerating walls 24 and extend upwardly. .These pins are coated with porcelain along with the remaining portion of the cooling unit including the door 29. In order to provide a hinge which will not chip the porcelain, I have discarded all metal hinges which have been used for such a purpose. In place of the metal hinges tion, but if desired other materials of rubber composition may also be used such as rubberized fabric or a material composed of alternate layers of rubber and fabric. My preferred type of hinge has an eye portion 34 which fits over the pivot pin 3| and has portions projecting in either direction therefrom. One portion 35 extends from the eye portion and is shaped and curved to fit into the recess 36 which is provided therefor in the door 29. This projection 35 is clamped to the door by means of the screw and nut 3'1;= the protecting washer 38 on the exterior of the,

door, and the clamping plate 39 for clamping the end of the projection 35 to theirearside of the door.

This construction prevents the chipping of the porcelain coating of the door around the screw 31 and the washer 38. In assembling should-the screw and nut 31 be screwedtoo tight, the-rubber portion 35 between the clamping plate 39%and the door 29 will yield and prevent an excessive.

pressure andalso distortion from being applied to the porcelain coating. aroundluthe screw p31 and the washer 38; The eye portion 34 ,:of .the

hinge 33 easily slips over the .-pivot 1 pin '3 I vand obviously no trouble is had from this; connection;

In ordere to keep-the door closed. I have provided a resilient projection 39 which extends in the opposite direction from-the ,.eye--3 l and contacts with the: exterior adjacent therefrigerating wall ld. In Fig. .3 this, projection 39g isshown Y curved-because of the v tension in this projection which presses against the adjacent wallof ,the

cooling unit 24 and fulcrum's the projection 35 of the-hinge. andrthe door 29 to closing position about thepivot pin 3 l By means of this;projectione39-tthe door is resiliently urged into 1 its desired closed position. By the use of this simple. integral projection. '39. no additional devices are required for-keeping the door; 29 in the closed position. By providing a resilient-means fore-urging the door: intothe closed position it is assuredthat the door will be opened only when .it isdesired to have access through ;the freezing compartment and not at any otheretimee- It-=wil1:.thus;.-be .seenthat .my' hinge-is of exceedingly simple .-construction. It'

requiresbut a unitary-piece of rubber of a desired-configuration, a screw and nut, a Washer, a clampingplate-anda pivot pin: It requires no oiling: does not squeak and does not mar loin. It is. exceedingly simple to assembleand-rits parts can chip-the porcelainor any other;finish,=

be manufacturedat a verylowecostt At-gthe' edgeiof ;the--door;ropposite the hinge, the doorr 29 is provided with tan integral knob 1 All-which is pressed in the door- In orderto prevent chipping of-q'the porcelainaandijarring when: the door swings; to :itsclosed-position under theiinfluence of the rubber-hinge33, a rubber bumper M is provided -adjacentthe .knob 40 and has a projecting portion of aasli-ghtlylarger,

size than the interiorjof the knob-4ll-which extends; into the interior of the knob and presses tightlyagainst its sides to hold the rubberbumper Mfin its proper position. This rubber bumper cushions thEShOCk which is caused by the swinging of thedoorl to the closed position. Bycushioning the shock with rubber, noise is prevented as -well-as the.chipping-oftheporcelain upon obviously it is capable; of being; used-in-many,

other situations, particularly where it is desired to prevent the marring of a frangible attaching surface.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that otherwforms might'be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as followsf 1. A rubber-like door hinge comprising a member of rubber-like material having an eye portion with a long straight cavity extending within the eye portion for receiving a pivot pin, a flat fastening portion-extending from the eye portion, a thick resilient portion extending from the. eye'portion for providing a resilient force tending to turnthe member about the pivot pin, and all of said portions of said member being formedintegral with one another.

2. A single member serving as a pivot-type hinge a 7 spring for theuhinge, and :an insulator between i the door support :andthe door.;formed' ofe-a single piece of rubber-likez-material havingn an eye portion with a cavity therein for receiv-'. ing. a pivot pin,, a fastening; portion extending from; the eye portion tion-fastening 1. the; rubberlike member -.to some object, andi ra resilientiportion extending. from; the ;eye portion adapted to contact ;-with an obj eat for resiliently urging, the

rubber-like member to turn about the pivot pin;

3. As -an=article of :manufacture :a; doonhinge comprising a single member of flexible material-V f having an eye-portion provided- -with a cavity for receivlngasupporting pin, and integral projecting means extending }from the eye "portion, one of saidpro-jecting:meansiadaptedrto: support the door; or closure member. and-the :other' pro,-

jecting means, providing-spring -.means1for resili=v ently-V holding; the door, I member in a c1osed= position; 7

4. A door hinge comprising-a memberhavingg a mounting portionwith-an; opening extending therethrough for the reception of a pin, saidmember also havinga fastening portion extendmember being formed integrally with one another of rubber-like materiaL:

5. A door hinge comprising-,--a member having a thick mounting vportion with an opening-ex tending therethrough for they reception of a pin,-

said member also having ,arrelatively thin fastening portion extending :from said thick mount ing portionithereof, said thick mounting Y portion of said member having a portion extending therefrom adapted to prevent rotation thereof about the pin adapted to be located -insaid opening, and allof said-portions of saidmember being formed integrally with one another of'rubber like material. 7

6. A door hinge comprising, a member having a thick portion adapted to be mountedon a wall of a chamber having an opening and a door for closing the opening, said member having a relatively thin portion extending from the thick.

mounting-portion thereof and adapted to be fasteneduto the chamber door, said thick portion of said member having a part thereof engaging the chamber. wall to preventhrotation .of a the -c member about its mountingaandvsaid portions. of,

said member being formed integrally with one another of rubber-like material and cooperating to urge the door into closed position.

7. A door hinge comprising, a member having a thick portion adapted to be mounted on a wall of a chamber having an opening and a door for closing the opening, said member having a relatively thin portion extending from the thick mounting portion thereof and adapted to be fastened to the chamber closing door, said member also including another portion extending from said thick portion thereof in a direction opposite to the extension of said relatively thin portion and adapted to engage the chamber wall to prevent turning of the thick portion of said member, and all of said portions of said member being formed integrally with one another of rubber-like material and cooperating to urge the door into closed position.

8. A door hinge comprising, a member having a mounting portion adapted to be secured to a wall having an opening and a door for closing the opening, said member having a flexible fastening portion extending from the mounting portion thereof and adapted to be secured to the door, said mounting portion of said member having a part thereof engaging the wall and tending to prevent movement thereof relative to the wall, and said portions of said member being formed integral with one another of resilient non-metallic material and cooperating to urge the door into closed position.

HARRY F. SMITH. 

